Controller, control method, and computer program product for a vehicle which has a chassis part and a driver cab part that can be found on the chassis part

Abstract

A control unit for a vehicle that has a chassis and a driver's cab on the chassis, comprising a first data interface for receiving image data generated by an imaging sensor, a second data interface for receiving vehicle state data generated by a vehicle state sensor, an evaluation unit for evaluating the image data and/or the vehicle state data in order to generate a first control signal on the basis of the evaluation of the image data, which is configured to counteract a relative movement between the chassis and the driver's cab and/or generate a second control signal on the basis of the evaluation of the vehicle state data, which is configured to correct a setting of the imaging sensor, and a signal output unit for outputting the first and/or second control signals.

Claims

1. A control unit for a vehicle comprising a chassis and a driver's cab on the chassis, the control unit comprising: a first data interface configured to receive image data generated by an imaging sensor; a second data interface configured to receive vehicle state data generated by a vehicle state sensor different from the imaging sensor; at least one processing device configured to: evaluate at least one of the image data or the vehicle state data, and generate a second control signal on a basis of the evaluation of the vehicle state data, which second control signal is configured to correct a setting of the imaging sensor; and a signal output interface configured to output the second control signal.

2. The control unit according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processing device is configured to deduce a vibration between the chassis and the driver's cab from the vehicle state data.

3. The control unit according to claim 2, wherein the at least one processing device is configured to generate the second control signal as soon as the at least one processing device has detected that the deduced vibration between the chassis and the driver's cab has reached a predefined threshold.

4. The control unit according to claim 1, wherein the second control signal is configured to correct an incorrect field of vision of the imaging sensor based on the evaluation of the vehicle state data.

5. The control unit according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processing device is configured to: evaluate both of the image data and the vehicle state data by the at least one processing device; and generate a first control signal on a basis of the evaluation of the image data, wherein the first control signal is configured to operate a mechatronic damping regulating unit comprising actuators configured to counteract a relative movement between the chassis and the driver's cab based on the first signal; and wherein the signal output interface is configured to: output the first control signal to the mechatronic damping regulating unit.

6. The control unit according to claim 5, wherein the at least one processing device is configured to deduce a field of vision from the imaging sensor.

7. The control unit according to claim 6, wherein the at least one processing device is configured to generate the first control signal as soon as the at least one processing device has detected that the deduced field of vision differs from a predefined field of vision by a predefined tolerance.

8. A vehicle comprising a chassis and a driver's cab on the chassis, the vehicle further comprising the control unit according to claim 1.

9. A control method for a vehicle that has a chassis and a driver's cab on the chassis, the control method comprising: receiving image data generated by an imaging sensor via a first data interface; receiving vehicle state data generated by a vehicle state sensor via a second data interface, wherein the vehicle state sensor is different from the imaging sensor; evaluating at least one of the image data or the vehicle state data by at least one processing device; generating a second control signal on a basis of the evaluation of the vehicle state data, which second control signal is configured to correct a field of vision of the imaging sensor; and outputting the second control signal via a signal output interface.

10. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing thereon a computer program for a vehicle a chassis and a driver's cab on the chassis, wherein, when executed by a computer, the computer program causes the computer to execute the method according to claim 9.

11. The method according to claim 9 further comprising: deducing, by the at least one processing device, a vibration between the chassis and the driver's cab from the vehicle state data.

12. The method according to claim 11 further comprising: generating the second control signal as soon as the at least one processing device has detected that the deduced vibration between the chassis and the driver's cab has reached a predefined threshold.

13. The method according to claim 9 further comprising: correcting an incorrect field of vision of the imaging sensor with the second control signal.

14. The method according to claim 9 further comprising: deducing, by the at least one processing device, the field of vision from the imaging sensor.

15. The method according to claim 9, further comprising: evaluating both of the image data and the vehicle state data by the at least one processing device; generating a first control signal on a basis of the evaluation of the image data, wherein the first control signal is configured to operate a mechatronic damping regulating unit comprising actuators configured to counteract a relative movement between the chassis and the driver's cab based on the first signal; and outputting the first control signal via the signal output interface to the mechatronic damping regulating unit.

16. The method according to claim 15 further comprising: generating the first control signal as soon as the at least one processing device has detected that the deduced field of vision differs from a predefined field of vision by a predefined tolerance.

17. A control unit for a vehicle comprising a chassis and a driver's cab on the chassis, the control unit comprising: a first data interface configured to receive image data generated by an imaging sensor; a second data interface configured to receive vehicle state data generated by a vehicle state sensor; at least one processing device configured to: evaluate at least one of the image data or the vehicle state data; and generate a first control signal on a basis of the evaluation of the image data, wherein the first control signal is configured to operate a mechatronic damping regulating unit comprising actuators configured to counteract a relative movement between the chassis and the driver's cab based on the first signal; and a signal output interface configured to output the first control signal to the mechatronic damping regulating unit.

18. The control unit according to claim 17, wherein the at least one processing device is configured to deduce a field of vision from the imaging sensor.

19. The control unit according to claim 18, wherein the at least one processing device is configured to generate the first control signal as soon as the at least one processing device has detected that the deduced field of vision differs from a predefined field of vision by a predefined tolerance.

Description

(1) Embodiments of the invention shall be described below in reference to the drawings. Therein:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of a control unit according to one embodiment;

(3) FIG. 2 shows a schematic illustration of the control unit from FIG. 1 when used in a vehicle; and

(4) FIG. 3 shows a schematic illustration of the vehicle in which the driver's cab is tilted forward.

(5) The same reference symbols in the drawings refer to the same or functionally similar parts. The relevant reference parts are each labeled in the individual figures.

(6) FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of a control unit 10 according to an embodiment. The control unit 10 is used for a vehicle 50 that has a chassis 501 and a driver's cab 502 located on the chassis 501. The vehicle 50 in this case is a cargo vehicle.

(7) The control unit 10 comprises a first data interface 12 for receiving image data generated by an imaging sensor 22, and a second data interface 14 for receiving vehicle state data generated by a vehicle state sensor 32.

(8) The control unit 10 also comprises an evaluation unit 16 for evaluating the image data and/or vehicle state data. A first control signal 161 is generated by the evaluation unit 16 on the basis of the evaluation of the image data, which is configured to counteract a relative movement between the chassis 501 and the driver's cab 502. A second control signal 162 is generated on the basis of the evaluation of the vehicle state data, which is configured to correct a setting of the imaging sensor 22. The control unit 10 also comprises a signal output unit 18 for outputting the first and/or second control signals 161, 162. The outputting of the respective control signals 161, 162 to the vehicle 50 is shown here by way of example. Alternatively, the first control signal 161 can be output to a mechatronic regulating unit 42, 44. The second control signal 162 can also be output to the imaging sensor 22 or a device (such as a cloud-based central control unit) that is used to set the imaging sensor.

(9) The control unit 10 can be integrated in the vehicle 50, as is shown in greater detail in FIG. 2. The control unit 10 can also be designed as a separate device from the vehicle 50, which communicates with the vehicle 50, the imaging sensor 22, and/or the vehicle state sensor 32 via a communication medium, or a communication channel such as WLAN, NFC, Bluetooth, or infrared.

(10) An example is shown in FIG. 2 in which the imaging sensor 22 is attached to the vehicle 50, in particular the driver's cab 501 in the vehicle 50. The vehicle state sensor 32 is also attached to the driver's cab 501.

(11) Alternatively, at least one of the two sensors 22, 32 can be placed outside the vehicle 50, or the driver's cab 501.

(12) FIG. 3 shows a schematic illustration of the vehicle 50 in which the driver's cab 501 is tilted forward due to vibrations. The normal position of the driver's cab 501 is indicated by broken lines, for comparison purposes. A field of vision 221 and a reference field of vision 222 are shown for the tilted position and the normal position of the driver's cab 501.

(13) When the evaluation unit 16 evaluates the image data, the evaluation unit deduces an incorrect setting of the imaging sensor 22 from the image data. As is shown by way of example in FIG. 3, the incorrect setting of the field of vision 221 relates to the camera 22 that is used. This then indicates an incorrect setting of the vehicle state, which can be traced back to a relative movement between the driver's cab 501 (indicated by a solid line in FIG. 3), and the chassis 502. This relative movement can be caused in particular by vibrations in the vehicle 50, wherein the vibrations of the driver's cab 501 in relation to the chassis 502 must be compensated for. The evaluation unit 16 generates the first control signal 161 on the basis of this evaluation, in order to counteract the relative movement between the chassis 502 and the driver's cab 501.

(14) As is shown by way of example in FIGS. 1 and 2, the first control signal 161 can be output by the signal output unit 18 to a mechatronic regulating unit, in particular to regulating elements 42, 44 in the vehicle for vibration damping. The current field of vision 221 imaged in realtime by the imaging sensor or camera 22 can be compared with the reference field of vision 222 in the regulating mechanism used herein. The damping regulation can be continued until the current field of vision 221 is aligned with the reference field of vision within a predefined tolerance.

REFERENCE SYMBOLS

(15) 10 control unit 12 first data interface 14 second data interface 16 evaluation unit 161 first control signal 162 second control signal 18 signal output unit 22 imaging sensor 221 field of vision 222 reference field of vision 32 vehicle state sensor 42, 44 regulating unit 50 vehicle 501 driver's cab 502 chassis